Marvel: 2011-04-16 - Vanessa's Path
After sharing your resume with Dr. Hank McCoy, it took a while before you received a call from Professor Charles Xavier, headmaster of Xavier's Institute. Directions to take the METRO up to North Salem were provided, and a staff member was there to pick you up at the METRO and take you to the private school. The grounds are expansive, and you are dropped in front of the door where a bald man in a wheelchair is waiting. He smiles lightly, "Please come inside Ms. Larson." He rolls into the school with ease and down into the east hall and wing to his office. Once inside he says, "Please, close the door." Xavier rolls his wheelchair behind his desk. He has a hover chair he can use, but in some cases, he still uses the traditional wheelchair. "As you may have guessed, I am Professor Charles Xavier, headmaster and founder of Xavier's Institute. Dr. McCoy gave me your resume and asked me to look it over. I wanted to meet you." His expression appears friendly enough, though his blue eyes are watchful. Vanessa is currently not dressed in her rock-star-gangster-chica look, she is instead in a solid pink top that is pretty tight, but goes all the way down to her moderately sized black skirt that's pleated. Two colors, and has a hair band that is holding her platinum blonde hair back and away from her eyes. On her feet are 3 inch heels and they are black, but she follows you along and comes in with a folder and her portfolio, if you had to guess. Sitting down, and watching the man with the wheelchair closely, Vanessa mostly stays quiet. Her internal mind is a chaos of thoughts that flitter around all the time, but she keeps them in check having been well-practiced at this, "Well, I wanted to meet, you, I guess too. You are in a wheelchair? No offense, but it wasn't what I would have guessed." She is frank, and not meaning to insult, but she can't help but say what's on her mind either. "I'm mostly interested in a position that connects with my degree, as I'd be most comfortable with that, but Hank said there was something of a lacking in the philosophy department as well, and I do know quite a few religions, as many of them have been classified as mythology now." "Yes. It was an accident long ago that crippled me. My telekinesis is not powerful enough to walk." Not that Xavier has stopped practicing. He rests back in his wheelchair, not taking offense because he knows none was intended. Though it is no secret he is crippled, but really, how many people have seen him on television? He does not appear often, though the one memorable time was with the first unveiling of the Sentinels during a debate. That was a terrible incident. "Rounding out the students' education is always important. Mythology and religion classes can tie into history and be very useful. Colleges teach a number of these classes even as general eds, as you likely know. Other than teaching a class though, what do you believe you can contribute to this school, and to the special students that attend it?" Not having a TV she didn't even realize who Xavier was until he introduced himself at the car. She doesn't look down at him either, not while they walked to the building, nor while you both moved into your office. There is a taking in of breath, she hasn't had to do an interview of any kind since her college stipend, "Well, the most direct thing I can offer is protection. My, powers, allow me considerable resistance to harm and I'm very fast." She shrugs her shoulders a little, her tattoo'd arm not hidden from view at all, "Plus, like many people here, I'm sure, I know what it's like to run every day from the things I had done, could do, was doing. My father was my guiding light, and he taught me fishing, mechanic work, the love of sports and how to compete without getting upset." A small smile creeps to her lips as she thinks about her father and fishing when she was younger, "So, at the worst, if you don't need mythology and religion, I could at least help feed the school. I wouldn't mind that at all, just need to find some good local fishing holes." She chuckles a little bit, before wondering, "Did, McCoy send along what I am capable of? I don't want there to be any misunderstandings, or secrets. Honesty is the best policy, after all." "And we have an expansive superhero team stationed here, as well as young adults," he means teenagers, "being trained to handle themselves and their powers. Xavier more carefully listens to the rest you have to say however. "Breakstone Lake is in our backyard and is fully stocked," he advises you with a bit of a smile. "I have access to the files Muir Research Center has," he tells you. "We have often shared research data, and Dr. MacTaggert and I are old friends, and we have worked on a number of projects together." His smile is fond when he speaks of Moira. "She speaks well of you, and your determination for self-control and your struggle to do right by the world. You have lived well Vanessa, even with everything seemingly stacked against you." There is respect and admiration in Xavier's tone. "Doesn't feel right saying things were stacked against me. I, don't ever feel that way, it's more like, I've got just one big problem, and everything else is so good that I can stand against it." Vanessa says, "After all, not everyone has as wonderful of a father as I did, not everyone got the chance to live in the UK for as long as I did to study old myths and have a chance to help out with what I could for Excalibur." Shaking her head, "No, sir, I'd have to disagree with you. It's part of the reason I'm here, I mean, the other part is I kind of need a more solid job. But mostly I'm trying to do what I can with what I've been given, protect others from monsters even if I can't myself." A pause, "I hope that didn't sound too Emo, I'm not upset, any more, about my abilities, I take them for what they are and hope I can do well with them. But, outside of that, I've been given a great education, and many chances in my life to do well, I want to allow others to benefit from those, doesn't feel right keeping what my father taught me, or what my school taught me to myself." Xavier smiles when you say you disagree with him, approving of your response greatly. You may be a blunt individual, but you are one with honest, strong feelings, and one that works a difficult, but true path. "No one's life is perfect, but too many permit the difficulties in their life to defeat them. This causes new opportunities, beautiful ones even to be missed. You have walked a difficult and honorable path Vanessa Larson." And Xavier appears very content suddenly. "Your contributions to the school would be greatly appreciated. Your self-training in trying to master your powers can also help others I believe. You have so much to give, between your education and your life experiences." "That was easy." Vanessa mentions, and grins a little bit, "Luckily I don't stress out about these things." And she shrugs a little bit, then she has another thought, "And, I heard this place was sort of a 'live in' school, for the teachers and students? I can still kick it in my studio in Hell's Kitchen but that's a hell of a trip." She adds, "I also, don't really sleep anymore, so I can do late night classes if you need that, or late night any thing, even janitorial tasks. I don't mind, but I'll probably not spend a lot of time in a room, more lounging about." She pauses and says, "I'll just stop talking now, and let you get to whatever business side of things you need to, for this to happen." Xavier chuckles easily, "Not so easy in a way. It is your past actions and your current perspective that got you the job, and the development of them, the living of life, is never an easy thing." He then nods, "Yes. You would be provided a teacher dorm here, with a private bath. Furthermore, if you have your driver's license, we do have school cars you can borrow if you want to drive into town rather than take the METRO," he advises. "We have a gym, indoor and outdoor pools, a recreation room for teachers to relax in, and a seperate one for students. A cafeteria with food fresh at specific times, and left overs placed in the fridge for you to heat up if you miss them. Sodas and junk food are obtainable by self-purchase," meaning the school doesn't provide them. Xavier smiles a bit, "I am sure there are things that will happen in the future that may require long hours. Accidents happen, and repairs need to be made." He sounds vaguely amused as you ramble. Xavier moves to open a draw and pulls out some items. There is a folder slid toward you. "Documentation to accept employment here, including personal information for IRS reasons," such as request your social security number. He places a key in front of you, "For the dorm room, I will have a plaque made for your door, right now it is noted with a piece of paper that says room 215." He then pulls out a cell phone and hands it toward you, "So the school can contact you, or a student if they need assistance. Calls from the main number have the ability to be routed to your phone line. You can use it for personal use as well." He then pulls out one more thing, a credit card. "And a speeding account for class materials, just turn in the receipts to me on the next Friday whenever you make use of it for book keeping records." Holy beejeezes Batman, right? "I will expect you here on Monday to plan with me your class schedules, review school policies, class room assignments, and so on. You will start as a teacher the following Monday. This will give you a week to get settled in. Is this acceptable?" He is not giving you two weeks notice, but hey, such is life. "I can also have one of the teachers assist you with moving out, to make things easier, if need be." Vanessa uses one hand to grab over everything, "I don't have a driver's license, I hope that's not an issue... just, since I could drive, I've never really needed one. I can usually get places a lot, faster, on foot, than... well, you have the information." Then she takes up the pen and starts filling out whatever forms are present, having done enough of this stuff during her school to have most of her information memorized, "My personal stuff is pretty easy. I have some clothes, not much, two outfits, and I'm wearing one of them. And, then, well, a few books, whatever I felt I really wanted from my studies in the UK." A shrug, and she adds, "Plus, I could likely drag my apartment here, heh, cause it's so small, you know?" And she shakes her head a little bit, but anything else you need from me? And, I..." She puts down the credit card and slides it back to Xavier, "Maybe you should hold onto that, and I can just ask for it whenever I need it? I don't want to go... crazy with it." Just keeping temptation away until she can really handle it, or maybe she would just go crazy with a credit card even if it's just to buy school supplies, "The food and everything is enough already, I'm going to eat you guys out of house and home." "If you want your driver's license, that is easily arranged," Xavier says simply. It is a matter of choice for you if you get it, though he would not encourage driving without one - basically, no borrowing one of the cars without one. Xavier then takes the credit card back. "I'll give it to you next week to go shopping for school supplies, and then you can hand it and the receipts in then," he suggests as an alternative. "If you need an advancement of your first week's pay, let me know," it wouldn't be the first time he did that for a new hired teacher. But he rather not give two weeks advanced pay, so you still get a paycheck after your first two weeks. "I'll let Logan know he is to drive down there and assist you." With the fake id they arranged for the man, he does have a driver's license. "Anything else?" Wanting you to know you can come to him with concerns or questions. Looking at Xavier, Vanessa nods her head to everything he says, putting the pen down and clumsily holding onto the cellphone, not really having had one yet, and she isn't sure how one is supposed to hold onto them. "Well, I guess, next week I'll learn about things like dress code and such. I figured it was semi lenient, because Hank wanders around in, well, not much at all." Not, apparently, counting fur as clothes. After that, she just lets out a little shrug again, "I'm sure I'll have questions, but really, nothing like this has ever happened to me, so it's a bit new, too new to have anything I can ask just yet." Then she offers a little pause, as if she might have a question and then it is gone, she just claps her mouth shut and smiles lightly. Whatever it was vanished with the pause, "Nope, all done here. I'll get to getting my stuff, and moving in. Monday I'll be ready to get started learning."